Page 37 of Dragon Fires Everywhere
And I’ve dealt with it.
The end.
“No curses. No rituals. None of that is necessary.” I give them all a stern look, and because I am never all thatstern, they actually seem to listen. “It was a relationship. It ended. I’d like to focus on opening the archives at the Cold MoonCeremony next week.”
Rebekah and Ellowyn look a little surly at that, and I feel certain there will be a round ofCurse the Cheaterteas at Tea &No Sympathy by morning, but eventually I get a promise from them that they won’tactuallycurse Sage.
Not that I want to protect him, but wearethe ruling coven now. We can’t go around enacting revenge curses. That’s what the Joywood are famous for. We need to be different.Wearedifferent.
But when Ellowyn and Rebekah head off, back to their own lives, I can’t seem to dislodge Emerson.
She’s quiet for a few minutes, and that is worrisome. I know what she’s about to say is going to be heavy. Important.
“I have always given you space when you wanted it,” she tells me eventually. “Or I’ve tried to. You’re the only one I’ve evermanaged to do that consistently for.”
I know she’s right, and it means more than I can express. So we just... lean into each other, there on my bed.
“But I don’t want you shutting me out on stuff that actuallymeanssomething,” she says. “We don’t need a heart-to-heart every time you have an emotion, but you need to at leastshare.”
I stiffen a little at that, though I try not to. “I’m an only child, Em. I don’t like to share.”
“Don’t make me steamroll you. I hear it’s very painful.” She smiles again. “You’ve heard what people say about me. You knowit’s true. Everyone should hate me, I’m a raging narcissist who bullies everyone, blah blah blah.”
I manage a laugh, because right now I wish any of thatwastrue, so I could hate her and dismiss what she’s saying to me as the closest thing to a sister I have. “I don’t want to wastetime talking about him, hating him,” I manage to get out. “He was a mistake.Mymistake.”
Emerson sighs. “Sometimes we have to share our mistakes, you know. Just like we share our successes.”
I know this is new for our fearless leader—who very much preferred to succeed and fail on her own not that long ago. “You’resoevolved,” I tease her.
I expect her to laugh, but instead, she nods. “Weird thing is, Georgie, a really good, loving relationship will do that to you.”
She’s being too serious for my liking, but I smile. I let her hug me. And when she finally leaves too, I can admit that Ifeel a little better.
But there’s still a dragon-shaped pit of anger and frustration—and still that same scalding-hotrecognition—in my stomach that isn’t going away anytime soon.
And maybe I don’t want it to.
11
I do not speak with Azrael for the next few days as we lead up to the Cold Moon Ceremony.
I pretend this is because I amjust that busy. Which is not entirely untrue.
I spend my days at the museum, dealing with the transfer of my old duties to my replacement and going through what I can findof Happy Ambrose’s to figure out what my new role will be, since I can’t trust anything the Joywood tells us. And I spendmy nights up in Frost’s library, researching fabulae and true covens, because if I fall asleep there in one of the big, cozychairs, so what? That happens when pulling all-nighters.
And if I expect Azrael to come charging up the bluff or break through the block that I put up to keep him out of my head,well... that’s between me and my active fantasy life that I’ve been trying to suppress for the whole of my existence.
He was in the wrong. That’s all there is to it. I will not acknowledge his existence until he apologizes.
But I also avoid that existence, because somehow I get the feeling that dragons aren’t the sort to hang around,hopingto be acknowledged.
On the evening of the ball, all the members of the Riverwood get ready on our own, but we decide to meet at Wilde House tohead to the Cold Moon Ceremony together. Because it’s always a good idea to show everyone that we’re a unit. And, bonus, we’remore powerful together.
There are two components to the Cold Moon Ceremony tonight. First, the town element, fit for witch and human alike. An actualball with fancy dress and champagne and over-the-top Christmas decor and music—thanks to Emerson and her event committee,of course.
The second component happens at midnight and is the first ceremonial act of a new ruling coven—according to what little we’vebeen able to find on what happensafterthe ascension trials. According to the lore, the voted-out coven is supposed to help and guide the new coven through thetransfer of power. Hence the time between the trials and the solstice when we actually gain full power.
You can imagine how helpful the Joywood have been in that regard.
